Letters to the editor Dec. 13, 2012

Thursday

Dec 13, 2012 at 3:15 AM

Here we go again!

To the editor:

Our illustrious town council is again trying to resurrect a pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) concept that was overwhelmingly rejected two years ago. Apparently, the proposal is that we, the citizens, purchase special bags for trash and at the end of the year, users will get money back based on their overall bag usage. Pardon me for being skeptical, but I don’t trust the hierarchy at hand!

Under this new, first-in-the-nation concept, the Town will contract with Waste Zero to implement the aforesaid. Citizens will purchase special trash bags, with a portion of the cost for such to be escrowed by Waste Zero. It’s unclear from whom these bags would be purchased and who gets the remaining balance that isn’t covered. Also, who compiles and calculates the related data and at what cost to the Town?

Under the former PAYT concept the citizens were forced to adhere to, the Town had wasted several thousands of tax dollars in costs before the voters had a chance to make their feelings known at the polls. Now it seems that we are being enticed to accept this new concept that apparently has never been tried in any city or town in the nation! I wonder why? The Town seems to think that the $2 to $10 per week that citizens will have to pay for rubbish disposal in the hope that they will see a return on their investment at the end of the year doesn’t negatively impact many hard-pressed citizens of our community!

Before the members of the council and the like laugh off these concerns and questions as complete nonsense, I would like to make my position perfectly clear! I have always been a staunch supporter and adhere to a policy of recycling. However, I sincerely believe that there is a way to motivate our citizens to recycle more without hurting those who already do recycle.

It has been about twenty years or so since a recycling concept was implemented in our community. Over the years, it has been a learning process for our citizens to develop an appreciation for the importance and the benefits that accrue from such a practice. There does come a time, however, when the carrot approach has to be augmented with a stick approach. It makes no sense to me that those who faithfully adapt and do recycle should be encumbered or penalized by the Town for those who fail or refuse to recycle. I believe that the time has come to apply tough love. It has been suggested by some that those who habitually refuse to recycle should pay a penalty for not doing so. This, I wholeheartedly agree with! It should be made known throughout the community that those people who are identified as failing to recycle may be faced with a fine. People who fall in that category should be made aware that as soon as rubbish is put curbside, it might be subjected to examination. I know that many feel that this is an invasion of their privacy; however, they must realize that once rubbish is put to the curb, it becomes Town property! I’m told that there are communities that have such a policy, and it works. It should be noted, however, that many of us, including myself, who do recycle might not put their items to curb each week until they have enough to do so.

Here’s the chance to implement a remedy and fund it at the same time. Instead of trying to test an unproven and first-in-the-nation concept on our community, identify those habitual offenders and make them pay. If they don’t like it, they know what they have to do. The choice is theirs, isn’t it? If those in the Town’s hierarchy choose to ignore a legitimate way to earn revenues while at the same time improving our environment, then at least put their proposals to the voters and let them decide!

Also, please consider going to the next council meeting on Dec. 18 and make your feelings known!

Michael A. Chasse

Springvale

Trash proposal amounts to tax hike

To the editor:

As I understand it, the idea of the varied trash proposals is to first reduce the town’s expenses by lessening the overall amount of waste as well as better assigning the cost of trash disposal to those who produce the most trash.

I do not see how the current proposal I am reading about in the Sanford News matches those goals.

To the first point, I cannot see how the administrative costs of issuing checks and/or debit cards with all the administrative, regulatory and reporting costs could possibly be part of a less expensive solution. In fact, it sounds quite costly.

To the second, without a correlating reduction in taxes for the town, there does not seem to be a benefit to recycling, but another fee for those who do not.

No matter how you feel about recycling, the math works that if you reduce the costs and increase the fees, but still do not reduce the tax income needed, that is essentially a rise in taxes following a 10-percent rise last year.

David R. Mongeau

Springvale

A vote for the ‘swish’

To the editor:

Officials’ decision to have people vote on the proposed logo for the Town of Sanford by computer or in person at the town hall disenfranchises a great many people who would like to vote.

Regular mail should be added to the means to vote, and the deadline should be extended to the New Year, after the holidays.

It seems that a possible result under the present means could be weighted in favor of business.

My preference is the “swish” one (in blue for the river and lakes we have), with the slogan, “Explore. Create. Grow.”

Virginia A. Spencer

Sanford

Warm hearts!

To the editor:

The Sanford Fire Department put on a food drive on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1. The generous people of Sanford donated food and funds to help us out at the Sanford Food Pantry.

They did a good job of collecting food from the different stores in town. Volunteers stood outside and collected food and money from very giving and generous people. One of the helpers also recruited his wife and granddaughter to help with the cause.

What can I say? They had cold feet but warm hearts!

Besides thanking the volunteers, we would also like to thank all those who donated. Your generosity helps the Sanford Food Pantry to feed those in need from Sanford, Springvale, and Lebanon.

We get a lot of our food from Jodi Bissonette, of York County Food Rescue, who helps out at least 42 food kitchens and pantries in York County. The money that has been donated helps us to buy needed food when our supply gets low at the Sanford Food Pantry.

Thank you to all who helped out in different ways.

May you all have a blessed Christmas.

Bob Werner

Lebanon

On behalf of all the volunteers at the Sanford Food Pantry

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